Draftkings - Week 4 Running Back Picks
Looking for the best NFL running backs for Week 4 on DraftKings? This breakdown takes a closer look at the running backs carrying the most important workloads on the Sunday main slate, with a focus on carries, targets, total opportunities, red-zone usage, matchup, game environment and touchdown upside. Volume remains one of the most important factors when building a DFS lineup, but opportunity alone doesn't tell the whole story. We'll look at which backs are positioned to turn their workload into production and identify the Week 4 DraftKings RBs worth considering for both cash games and GPP tournaments.
Top 8 Running backs sorted by Opportunities
Rank | RB | Team | Carries | Targets | Opportunity | RZ Carries |
1 | Kenneth Walker III | SEA | 65 | 18 | 83 | 15 |
2 | Ashton Jeanty | LV | 63 | 16 | 79 | 19 |
3 | Jaylen Warren | PIT | 55 | 20 | 75 | — |
4 | Derrick Henry | BAL | 63 | 8 | 71 | 18 |
5 | James Cook | BUF | 60 | 8 | 68 | 15 |
6 | D'Andre Swift | CHI | 56 | 10 | 66 | 17 |
7 | Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 41 | 9 | 50 | 6 |
8 | Christian McCaffrey | SF | 35 | 17 | 48 | 8 |
The Alphas
Kenneth Walker III - ($8,200) enters Week 4 as one of the most intriguing running backs for DFS thanks to the combination of volume, efficiency and touchdown upside. Through three games, Walker has handled 65 carries and 18 targets, giving him 83 total opportunities while averaging 5.5 yards per carry and producing 360 rushing yards and 82 receiving yards. His involvement in the passing game adds another path to a ceiling game, while his red-zone and goal-line usage gives him strong touchdown equity. The matchup with Las Vegas is relatively neutral, with the Raiders allowing 4.5 yards per carry, but their defense has been effective overall, so Walker's appeal isn't solely matchup-driven. With Kansas City averaging more than 29 points per game and Walker operating as a featured piece of the offense, he brings both a strong floor from volume and legitimate tournament-winning upside if he converts that workload into multiple touchdowns.
Christian McCaffrey - ($7,700) remains firmly in play and seems very underpriced, due to the sheer number of ways he can produce, even though his rushing volume has been somewhat lower than the elite workhorse backs so far. Through three games, McCaffrey has 35 carries and 17 targets, turning those opportunities into 166 rushing yards, 104 receiving yards and three rushing touchdowns. His 4.7 yards per carry and receiving role give him legitimate explosive upside, while his 17 targets are especially important because they provide another path to a day in fantasy. McCaffrey is also coming off his best game of the season against Arizona, producing 116 total yards and a touchdown on 19 touches. The Week 4 matchup against Denver presents a tougher rushing environment, with the Broncos allowing just 5.1 yards per carry but also showing the ability to give up explosive plays. McCaffrey's appeal ultimately comes from his versatility: even if the rushing matchup limits his efficiency, his receiving involvement and touchdown upside give him a path to a ceiling game.
Derrick Henry - ($8,400) is one of the highest-upside running backs on the slate thanks to his combination of volume, efficiency and elite touchdown equity. Through three games, Henry has handled 66 carries and five targets, producing 301 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards and six rushing touchdowns. He has already recorded 16 rushing first downs and has seen a heavy workload regardless of game script, including 24 carries in Week 1 and 26 in Week 3. Henry's Week 4 matchup gives him another opportunity to produce, and his biggest DFS appeal remains his ability to turn a normal workload into a slate-breaking performance. Baltimore's commitment to the run, combined with Henry's dominance around the goal line, gives him one of the highest touchdown ceilings at the position, while his proven ability to generate explosive runs means he doesn't necessarily need 30-plus carries to post a tournament-winning score. His receiving work isn't as extensive as some of the other elite backs, but the 26 carries and two touchdowns against Dallas in Week 3 demonstrate the ceiling that comes with his workload.
Searching For Value
Aaron Jones - ($6,000) is a solid value option in Week 4 because his workload has remained strong despite mediocre rushing efficiency. Through three games, Jones has 52 carries and seven targets, giving him 59 total opportunities, and he is coming off a 22-touch, 92-yard performance against Tampa Bay while playing 81.8% of the snaps. The matchup with Miami is appealing from a game-script standpoint, with Minnesota favored by 10.5 points, and Jordan Mason on injured reserve, leaving Jones with much less competition for the backfield work. The concern is efficiency—Jones is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and ranks poorly in explosive-run rate and missed-tackle rate—but his combination of workload, receiving involvement and expected positive game script gives him a legitimate path to a strong DFS score, particularly at his $6,000 DraftKings salary.
Chase Brown - ($6,100) stands out as one of the more interesting mid-range running backs on the Week 4 slate, particularly because of the matchup's potential to create plenty of scoring opportunities. Cincinnati and Jacksonville carry the highest game total on the main slate, giving Brown access to a potentially explosive offensive environment, as highlighted in our environments breakdown. He's already established himself as Cincinnati's primary back, handling 49 carries and 13 targets through three games while seeing the majority of the team's rushing work. What's particularly encouraging is his usage near the goal line, where Brown has handled all of Cincinnati's carries inside the five-yard line so far. The rushing efficiency hasn't been spectacular, but that hasn't stopped the Bengals from giving him opportunities, and his receiving role gives him another avenue to pay off his salary. At $6,100 on DraftKings, Brown doesn't need an enormous workload to become a valuable piece, and a game where Cincinnati reaches the end zone multiple times could put him in position for a much bigger score than his recent production suggests.
Braelon Allen - ($5,200) becomes one of the more interesting value plays on the Week 4 slate with Breece Hall ruled out, opening the door for Allen to take over the Jets' backfield against Chicago. Allen has been limited to just 19 carries and four receptions through three games, but the opportunity was never really there with Hall ahead of him; after Hall left last week's game, Allen played all 17 remaining offensive snaps and caught all three of his targets. The matchup is encouraging as well, with Chicago ranking 22nd in rushing yards allowed and 31st in net yards per rush attempt through three weeks. At $5,200 on DraftKings, the appeal is obvious: we're not paying for Allen's limited production to date, we're paying for the potential jump in workload. The biggest question is how much Isaiah Davis factors into the backfield, but with Hall officially ruled out and Davis having yet to record a snap or carry this season, Allen has a clear path to a much larger role.
Week 4 Home Favorite Running Backs
RB | Team | Opponent | Spread | Carries | Targets | Total Opp. |
Derrick Henry | BAL | TEN | BAL -11.5 | 66 | 5 | 71 |
James Cook | BUF | NE | BUF -14** | 58 | 8 | 66 |
D'Andre Swift | CHI | NYJ | CHI -3.5 | 54 | 10 | 64 |
Chase Brown | CIN | JAX | CIN -2.5* | 49 | 13 | 62 |
Aaron Jones | MIN | MIA | MIN -10.5 | 52 | 5 | 57 |
Christian McCaffrey | SF | DEN | SF -3 | 35 | 13 | 48 |
David Montgomery | HOU | DAL | HOU -3* | 37 | 9 | 46 |
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